Letters Home
by Chainsaw Demigoddess
Summary: Belated Sort-of Father's Day oneshot. A breif conversation with a certain Toa about her family inspires Rhymaki to attempt sending a letter to her parents. VERY Mild Rhymaki/Onua. T for safety. Probably slightly convoluted.


**I Thought I'd write something Father's-Day ish. Yeah, there is just a squick of Rhymaki/Onua (Canon/OC! Gaspeth!) because Onua needs so much more love than he gets. I'm writing this while wearing full-face makeup from the school production- we had our first performance Monday. So I am in just the right pissed-off mood to write Rhymaki without humming and haahing and "what if"ing. So yeah. Very belated Father's Day.**

* * *

Rhymaki leant back against a sack of sand, exhaling noisily. Father's Day. She wished she could send something back to Rhetora Nui, to her father, Thalir. To be frank, she was homesick. Nawt came by occasionally, and she was pretty sure Mihaka had tripped her up so she had to grab Onua for support. That was probably the most embarrassing moment she'd ever had on Mata Nui.

"Taking a break, are we?" a deep voice sounded behind her. Rhymaki blinked. "Resting is acceptable, is it not? I was just thinking." She stated, a faint note of amusement entering her voice.

"About what?" Onua asked, sitting down beside her. The younger Toa made an exasperated sound. "It's father's day. I was thinking about my Father. He helped me make this," Rhymaki pulled a purple-and-brown cord over her head and held the necklace up for Onua to see. "I found the stone one day when I was really small."

* * *

_"Daddy! Daddy! Look what I found!"_

_A small, white shape shot towards the older Matoran like a bullet, short sleeves and skirt flapping in her wake. "I was looking for shells for the mirror we're making Namira for her birthday and I found a shiny!"_

_"That's nice, Rhymaki…Can I have a closer look, please?" Thalir removed the stone from Rhymaki's palm and inspected it. Being raised in Onu-Rhetora as he had, Thalir knew a lot about stones, despite being an Av-Matoran and coloured like a Ta-Matoran. The stone in his palm was rose quartz, kite-shaped and flat, smooth to touch, and of no real value. He gave it back to his daughter._

_"You can keep it," he informed the amber-and-white Matoran, who seemed pleased with this answer. "It's not valuable."_

_"Thanks, Daddy."_

* * *

Onua blinked. He'd met a lot of Toa, and they had owned a lot of trinkets, and a good half of those had belonged to some deceased relative, or had some special power. Just a stone? Really?

"When I passed all the challenges to get my Toa Stone, my parents and me collaborated to make this. I provided the stone, my Dad the tools, and my Mum the cord. To stop me from getting homesick when I left with the Toa Avhorem."

"You get homesick?" Onua asked uneasily. He knew Rhymaki was usually reasonably detached, keeping conversation blank and impersonal, making small talk about her surprisingly dull history. This sort of conversation was unusual.

Rhymaki shrugged. "Not as much as I used to. I could say my home is the open road- my team travelled a lot- but that would be poetically cliché, and incorrect." The Toa paused then continued. "I suppose my official place of residence is still my old house, but I don't really like calling that home anymore, for some obscure reason. I suppose I belong somewhere in between." She finished awkwardly.

The Toa of Earth smiled at her. It must have been difficult to get that out. "Well, either way, you'll see your parents again sometime, when your team-mates come for you."

Rhymaki scowled. "I have a bone to pick with Nawt."

"From what I've heard, you always do."

* * *

Rhymaki stared at the paper, unsure how to begin. She'd blackmailed Nawt into taking a letter home for her. She had to write it somehow, and the narrator's chatter was really getting to her. After fifteen minutes of racking her brains, she put pen to paper and began to write.

_Dear father (and mother too, but this is mainly to you, Thalir.)_

_I am sure my team-mates have done me the favour of telling you I am currently stuck on Mata Nui. The others don't know the exact location of Mata Nui ( they can only go there to narrate, further the plot, et cetera but. I don't envy them, it's lovely here, albeit very humid._

_The local Toa have been very kind. Gali seems a little concerned for me, but I'm coping better than even I thought I would (You _are _always saying that my expectations of myself are too high!) and her worries over me are unnecessary._

_The other five Toa (all male- Gali is the only female) are cordial enough. Lewa's played a few pranks on me, but they weren't harmful, just silly. Tahu is very short-tempered- I haven't seen much of him. I am working for Pohatu currently- he's quite nice really, but a hard taskmaster. I don't object, I need something to do to take my mind off things. Kopaka seems a bit frosty, and doesn't talk much. _

_And then there's Onua. He freaks me out a little for no apparent reason. He's not particularly imposing (same height as me, rather genial, etc) or anything, but he does make me feel rather nervous. Bah, why am I talking to you about this? You're my dad, you'll just make things worse-- I know you and my love life. You scared that Le-Matoran right off. Put this last paragraph out of your mind. I can handle it._

_I am sending this care of Nawt's narrator abilities. Like I said, they have not fully located Mata Nui yet. I hope this letter finds you in reasonably good condition._

_Yours faithfully,_

_Rhymaki Avhorem Rhetora._

* * *

Rhymaki folded the paper and handed it to Nawt, who vanished. She sighed. She did miss her parents, her friends, hell, even her team-mates. But they were still there and one day, she'd see them again. Until then, she was here. The Toa weren't so bad. She stood up and walked towards her work.

She could have sworn she heard a very Mihaka-like giggle as she went flying. Her mind didn't dwell on it, as she was busy thinking two words:

"_Not again…"_

"Rhymaki, are you all right?"

"_Again?! I'm going to kill Mihaka!"_

**It's not really that Fathers Day-ish, but hey. I still wrote it. Not the best of quality, but yeah. I shrug dismissively at my own lack of sleep.**

**See the "review" buttton? Click it. No flaming please, I won't improve if you insult me for my lack of fanfiction experience. If this story is the worst you've ever seen, don't yell it for the world to see. And if you must flame me, please do not do so Anonymously. I like to know who's insulting me.**

**Have a nice week.**

**Chainsaw Demigoddess.**


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